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Who stashed gold inside a British piano? It's a mystery

By: The Associated PressApril 20, 2017 at 8:43 am

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Piano tuner Martin Backhouse with the piano where he found a stash of gold, smiles in Ludlow Museum in Ludlow, England Thursday April 20, 2017, As a mystery surrounds the identity of the rightful heirs to a treasure trove of gold coins . British officials say they have been unable to trace the rightful heirs to a trove of gold coins worth a "life-changing" amount of money. The school that owns the piano and the tuner who found the gold are now in line for a windfall after a coroner investigating the find declared it treasure. (Richard Vernalls/PA via AP)

LONDON — British officials say they've been unable to trace the rightful heirs to a trove of gold coins found stashed inside a piano and worth a "life-changing" amount of money.

The school that owns the piano and the tuner who found the gold are now in line for a windfall after a coroner investigating the find declared it treasure. But a couple who owned the piano for three decades before donating it to their local school will likely miss out.

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Coroner John Ellery said Thursday that, despite a thorough investigation and a public appeal for information, "we simply do not know" who concealed the coins.

The hoard was discovered last year when the piano was sent for tuning in Shropshire, central England. Under the keyboard — neatly stacked in hand-stitched packages and pouches — were 913 gold sovereigns and half-sovereigns minted in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Piano tuner Martin Backhouse said when he found the pouches and slit open the stitching, he thought: "Ooh, it looks like there's rather a lot of gold in this."

The hoard, which weighs 6 kilograms (13 pounds), has not been formally valued. But Peter Reavill of the British Museum has said the trove is worth a "potentially life-changing" amount.

The 913 gold coins which were found in a piano, are displayed at Ludlow Museum in Ludlow, England Thursday April 20, 2017, where they are being kept under lock and key. As a mystery surrounds the identity of the rightful heirs to a treasure trove of gold coins. British officials say they have been unable to trace the rightful heirs to a trove of gold coins worth a "life-changing" amount of money. The school that owns the piano and the tuner who found the gold are now in line for a windfall after a coroner investigating the find declared it treasure. (Richard Vernalls/PA via AP)

Revenue from items declared "treasure" is generally split between the owner — in this case, the Bishops Castle Community College — and the finder.

The piano was owned for 33 years by Graham and Meg Hemmings, who donated it last year to the school near their home. But Meg Hemmings said she's not bitter at missing out on treasure that was right under her nose.

"The sadness is, it's not a complete story," she said. "They've looked and searched for the people and they unfortunately haven't come forward.